Perfect or Preterite in Spanish Grammar

Introduction

The perfect tense(pretérito perfecto) and the preterite tense(indefinido) are both used for completed actions in Spanish grammar. However, they are used in different situations: The preterite tense, is used for completed past actions, while the perfect tense is used for actions that take place in a time frame that has not yet ended, or for past actions that continue to influence the present. The usage of these tense is similar to the present perfect and past simple in English grammar, however, they are not exactly the same.

Learn the difference between perfect and preterite tenses in Spanish grammar. Master conjugation and get tips on the correct usage with Lingolia’s tense comparison. In the exercises, you can practise what you have learnt.

To Note

In Latin America and some parts of Spain the perfect tense, or compound tenses in general, is not generally used. In these areas, only the preterite is used, even in cases where the perfect is required in most of Spain.

Example:

Esta mañana fui a clase de tenis.This morning I went to my tennis lesson.